Sliding glass door assemblies are commonplace in both residential and commercial dwellings. A sliding door is mounted on a horizontal track in offset alignment with a separate, fixed door or panel. When a person desires to enter or leave through the sliding door, the person opens the latch and slides the sliding door along the track to open the door, and then slides the door back to the closed position and locks the door.
Sliding door devices have been invented to open sliding doors for the elderly, those who are physically challenged, or someone seeking additional convenience by the assistance of a powered device to open and close the sliding door. In many of the prior art designs, the powered sliding door devices were installed and mounted outside of the sliding door assembly. These devices also required a specialist or technician who would know how to assemble the device, and then install and mount such device to the sliding door assembly and corresponding wall or other fixed surface. The assembly, installation and mounting of the devices can be difficult due to the many parts of the powered device, and possibly to complicated electrical wiring and hydraulic systems. Since these powered door openers were fixed into a surrounding wall, these devices were not portable and could not be easily moved from one sliding door assembly to another. The powered device would have to be completely removed and disassembled before it could be installed in another location.
One of the disadvantages of the prior art devices is that in many instances, the door frame, and sometimes the sill or jamb, or surrounding wall area, had to be structurally altered for the devices to be mounted for operation. This poses many problems which involve whether the integrity of the surrounding wall or door frame was suitable and durable for mounting purposes. Once mounted, these powered devices also had the problem of having an obstacle at or near the passageway of the sliding door.
When a pet (e.g., dog, cat) wants to go outside, the owner of the pet must open and close the sliding door. Sometimes a pet door is installed in the sliding door, or to another separate piece which fits between the sliding door and the building. There is no way for the pet to open a sliding door on their own. If an owner is away for extended periods of time, this can cause the pet great inconvenience, and usually the owner as well, since the owner will be forced to clean up after a pet that was unable to go outside.
Therefore, what is needed is a motorized device for opening and closing sliding doors that requires little or no assembly. What also is needed is a motorized device that can be easily mounted to a sliding door. What is also needed is a power-driven device that is programmable and gives the operator options for opening the door to desired openings and at variable speeds. Yet another need is for a power-driven device that is fully compatible with an existing security system or functions independently as it own security system. What is also needed is a device for a sliding door to open and close when a pet wants to go outside or come inside.